 Carmine Dalziel, Executive Director of the Kirkland Community Foundation, explains how this month’s Ignite Kirkland campaign is one-stop shopping for supporting local nonprofit organizations. You can be a hero without leaving your house! PLUS $500 in rebates to make your yard better for you and environment.>>Tune in for that and more.
 The next meeting of the Kirkland City Council is on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Here’s a brief overview of some of the items on the Business Agenda, which starts at 7:30 p.m.:
Council will hold a public hearing on the Houghton Village Development Plan. The Council is expected to consider adopting the Development Plan at its December 9, 2025 meeting. A public hearing on the Houghton Village Development Plan is required by the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The fundamentals of the Development Plan remain the same as what has been published on the City’s website for the last few months. It is important to note that the Development Plan does not authorize any specific proposals or redevelopment of the site at this time. Read the full news release here.
Council will receive an update on the final draft Homelessness Continuum of Care Action Plan.
Council will receive a briefing for updating water pressure in the Upper Highlands neighborhood, including a new alternative option, which is constructing a temporary regional booster pump station.
Council will receive an update on the rezoning of the Michael’s and Goodwill sites in the Juanita neighborhood.
Council will discuss the preliminary property tax levy adoption ordinance.
Prior to the above business agenda, the Council will also hold a Special Meeting starting at 5:30 p.m., where they will receive an update on the Kraken partnership and discuss the 2026 legislative agenda resolution and a parks property acquisition.
Meeting details:
The business meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and is preceded by a 5:30 p.m. study session. The agenda for the November 28 meeting will be available on the City website prior to the meeting on the Kirkland City Council agendas webpage. You can also receive meeting agendas in your inbox by subscribing to “City Council Agendas” on the Kirkland email lists subscription page.
How to watch: Kirkland City Council meetings are streamed live and can be watched after the fact on the City's:
Meetings are also televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 and Ziply Cable Channel 31.
How to participate: Members of the public wishing to address the Council may do so in-person or via Zoom during the “Items from the Audience” part of the agenda. That part of the agenda occurs at the beginning of the Council’s business meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Information on the comment sign up process to provide comment to the City Council, and on attending the meeting virtually, is available on the City Council webpage.
Written comments can also be submitted to CityCouncil@kirklandwa.gov. For additional questions, please call the City Clerk’s Office at (425) 587-3190.
Stay in the know: you can also get a preview of what’s coming up at Council in the coming weeks and months by checking out the City Council Agenda Calendar. Please note: this calendar is subject to frequent change and does not constitute legal notice.
 Mayor Kelli Curtis, on behalf of Council, last week proclaimed November 2025 as Veterans and Military Families Month in Kirkland, encouraging all community members to honor, recognize, and support the veterans, service members, and their families who have given so much in service to our community and our nation.
Efforts to honor both veterans and their families date back more than a century. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, a day marked by parades, public gatherings, and a suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m. Recognition of veterans and their families broadened over the decades that followed. Veterans and Military Families Month was first established in 1996 by the Armed Services YMCA.
Today, the observance of Veterans and Military Families Month serves as a unifying period of appreciation, connecting Veterans Day (November 11) with a broader month-long recognition of the ongoing contributions and challenges faced by veterans, service members, and their loved ones. Thank you to each and every one who has served our country. In Kirkland, they work across all City departments from Police and Fire to Public Works and IT.
Thank you for answering the call by putting your lives on the line for us.
The proclamation is available here.
 The Cultural Arts Commission cordially invites you to take a stroll down Park Lane and immerse yourself in the stories, voices, and shared experiences that bring our vibrant, inclusive community to life!
The Kirkland Outdoor Sculpture Gallery is a cherished cornerstone of Kirkland's downtown art scene that showcases a rotating two-year exhibition featuring six sculptures by established and emerging artists from across the U.S. This year’s Kirkland Outdoor Sculpture Gallery is centered around the theme of Reflection, an exploration of how art invites us to pause, look inward, and see our surroundings through a new lens.
The selected works echo Kirkland’s spirit of openness and diversity, encouraging visitors to reflect on their own experiences, relationships, and connections to the community. Through varied materials and perspectives, each sculpture is both a mirror and a window, capturing not only light and landscape, but also the many ways we see ourselves within the shared space of our city.
All displayed artworks are on loan from the city and available for purchase, with the City taking no commission from sales as a direct effort to support the artists. Since the gallery's launch, three pieces have found new homes, highlighting the community's enthusiasm for public art.
Thank you for supporting art in our beautiful city!
It's a tree! It's a rebate! It's a tree-bate!
Funds are still available for this year's tree rebate program, and we want YOU to enhance your property, neighborhood, and the world by planting a tree (or trees!)
Here's a quick reminder about the program details:
- Up to $500 per property per year, with a lifetime maximum of $1,000.
- Up to $150 rebate per tree
- There's a list of pre-approved trees, BUT if you'd like to plant another tree, ask! We approve most trees, as long as they will reach 15' tall by 10' when they are fully grown.
The rainy season is the perfect time to plant, as trees can spend the fall and winter developing strong root systems that will help them survive and thrive the following year. But don't wait too long! Please submit your files and paperwork for the trees by November 30, 2025.
|
 Donate before Nov 24, 2025 to see your gift in action for 2026!
Ignite Kirkland is a community-powered, place-based giving campaign hosted by the Kirkland Community Foundation. Each fall, the Foundation curates a digital catalog of Kirkland nonprofit projects — from youth programs and arts initiatives to park improvements and mental-health services — and invites residents to explore, learn, and give. Learn more at kirklandcommunity.org/ignite-kirkland-giving.
Thank you for being part of Kirkland’s place-based, all-community giving movement.
 Winter weather can sometimes lead to service delays. If Waste Management decides that weather conditions are unsafe, they might postpone collection until the following week or later in the day. When this happens, residents are allowed to put out twice their usual amount of material. Be extra cart ready and consider having an additional cart for garbage just in case of delays. Please note that no credits or refunds will be provided for collection delays caused by weather.
Ways to Stay Informed
-
Daily Updates: Get daily service updates regarding weather delays by visiting WM’s weatherboard or by calling 425-587-0040.
-
Phone Alerts: Sign up for phone alerts about winter weather service delays through the Our Kirkland service portal. Here’s how:
- Provide your location.
- Select the issue "Garbage/Water/Sewer Billing."
- Choose "I Want to Receive Waste Management Alerts."
- Finally, provide your phone number, service address, and specify whether you are the owner or tenant.
By staying informed and prepared, you can minimize the impact of winter weather on your waste collection services.
This is also a great time to get ready for winter weather at home. Make sure you have an emergency kit, know how to stay informed during storms, and have a plan for power outages or icy conditions. Visit Winter Weather – City of Kirkland for tips and resources from Kirkland’s Office of Emergency Management.
 The City's contractor will be doing the groundwork for new automatic gates at Juanita Beach Park and Houghton Beach Park at the following times next week:
Juanita Beach Park: Monday, November 17, 2025
Houghton Beach Park: Tuesday thru Thursday, November 18-20, 2025
The parks’ parking lots will be closed on the dates indicated above to allow the contractor to complete the work. Any cars remaining in the Juanita lot Monday morning when the construction starts will be stuck until construction wraps up that afternoon, as will cars at Houghton Beach Park starting on Tuesday. Park goers are still welcome to walk/bike into the parks during construction but there will be no vehicular access allowed.
Thank you for your patience while we improve our parks!
Used cooking oil and other grease accumulated while cooking should not be poured or washed down the drain. These can clog and damage sewer pipes, causing nasty overflows, messy spills on streets, and expensive clean-up costs. Save your pipes and recycle your used cooking oil instead. Take used cooking oil to the North Kirkland Community Center parking lot at 12421 103rd Avenue NE.
All collected cooking oil will be recycled into biodiesel fuel by NW Biofuels.
We know the tank can look a little messy, but better the tank than your pipes at home! If you do not want to drop off your cooking oil, you can also throw it away in your garbage in a sealed container, never pour it down the drain or into a storm drain!
This tank is for cooking oil only - NO motor oil. (Motor oil can be dropped off at the Factoria Hazardous Waste Drop-off)
|
 For the third year in a row, the Kirkland Workshops and Pitch Competition is now accepting applications!
Build the knowledge and confidence you need to start or grow your business. This challenge offers an ideal setting for hands-on application of practical business tools and the ability to clearly communicate the value of your product or service and the benefits your business offers.
- Basics of Business | February 10, 2026
- Lean Canvas Business Plan and Market Research | February 17, 2026
- The Business of Finances for Small Businesses | February 24, 2026
- Marketing and More | March 3, 2026
- Preparing to Pitch | March 10, 2026
- Pitch Competition | March 24, 2026 | Open to the Public
These workshops provide potential, micro, and small businesses with the groundwork needed to be successful as they launch their businesses. Each workshop will stress the need for tangible achievements and intentional networking that will build the support needed to be successful as a small business owner.
2026 Application for Business for Participation in Workshops and Pitch Competition
Learn more here.
1. 100th Avenue Northeast
Drivers will encounter traffic control at various locations along 100th Avenue Northeast while OMA Construction completes a variety of ‘punch-list’ tasks. The field office has been removed and this project is nearly finished. Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/100thavedesign for project updates on Thursdays.
2. 124th Avenue Northeast
Work continues on 124th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 116th Street and Northeast 124th Street. Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/124thavenue for project updates on Thursdays.
3. Northeast 85th Street: 122th Avenue Northeast to 120nd Avenue Northeast
On Northeast 85th Street east of I-405, daytime work will close a westbound lane on the north side of Northeast 85th Street between 120th Avenue Northeast and 122nd Avenue Northeast. Daytime work will reduce eastbound traffic to one lane between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Construction-Projects/NE-85th-Street-Eastbound-3rd-Lane for project updates on Thursdays.
4. Northeast 85th Street: I-405 to Sixth Street
Northeast 85th Street continues to usher a single lane of traffic in each direction, between Interstate 405 and Sixth Street while a Kirkland contractor builds a shared-use pathway that parallel’s Northeast 85th Street. Visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Construction-Projects/NE-85th-Street-Shared-Use-Pathway for project updates on Thursdays.
5. Kirkland Way Park & Ride Closed
Kirkland Way P&R is closed as a PSE gas line replacement project uses the space to store equipment.
Additional Construction Projects
Find out about additional construction projects here.
 Kirkland Turkey Trot
Date: Sunday, November 16
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Juanita Beach Park
Event organizers expect 1,000 athletes will participate in the race/walk which includes 10K, 5K, and Kids Dash courses. The event raises money in support of the Lake Washington High School Booster Club. The club’s mission is to pursue the support and development of student athletic teams and other interscholastic activities. Drivers should expect traffic delays and parking restrictions in the area. Please note: vehicles parked in restricted areas will be towed prior to the event.
Roads will be impacted from 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. or when the last runner finishes. Additionally, the following closures will be in place:
- From 8 to 11:30 a.m., eastbound Juanita Drive from 93rd Avenue NE to 98th Avenue NE will be closed with a detour in place.
- From 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the entrance to Juanita Beach Park’s main parking lot will be closed to vehicles.
For more information, visit www.kirklandturkeytrot.com.
 Fisk Family Park Ribbon Cutting
Date: Thursday, November 20
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Fisk Family Park, 212 6th Street South, Kirkland
The City of Kirkland invites the community to a ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration for Fisk Family Park to celebrate this new neighborhood park. In September 2023, the City purchased the 0.42-acre property, which features a stream and natural open space. The park is named Fisk Family Park to honor James G. Fisk and his family’s contribution to the community. The park purchase was made possible in part through donations from the Kirkland Community Foundation.
To learn more about Fisk Family Park and Kirkland’s park system, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/parks.
Winterfest Tree Lighting & Celebration
Date: Saturday, November 29
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: Peter Kirk Park Plaza, 202 Third Street, Kirkland
Embrace the magic of the season at Kirkland’s beloved Winterfest celebration! Gather with friends and neighbors on the plaza at Peter Kirk Park for a festive evening that captures the spirit of the holidays. Join us at 7:30 p.m. as we illuminate the holiday tree in a dazzling display of lights and sing along with the charming Dickens Carolers, filling the air with timeless holiday melodies. Take a twirl on the Winterfest Ice Rink at Lee Johnson Field—a perfect way to make winter memories with the whole family.
For a full lineup of Winterfest events and activities, visit kirklanddowntown.org. There's something for everyone to enjoy this season!
|
Want a monthly Events Guide delivered to your inbox? Sign up for our Events Newsletter.
Want to get inspired for next year's Business Workshops and Pitch Competition? Check out this year's event from April 2025.
|
